Director of Data Engineering (Data Streaming & Platforms)

Empower Company S.R.O.•Greenwood Village, CO

3d•$138,000 - $200,100

About The Position

Our vision for the future is based on the idea that transforming financial lives starts by giving our people the freedom to transform their own. We have a flexible work environment, and fluid career paths. We not only encourage but celebrate internal mobility. We also recognize the importance of purpose, well-being, and work-life balance. Within Empower and our communities, we work hard to create a welcoming and inclusive environment, and our associates dedicate thousands of hours to volunteering for causes that matter most to them. Chart your own path and grow your career while helping more customers achieve financial freedom. Empower Yourself. Applicants must be authorized to work for any employer in the U.S. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment visa at this time, including CPT/OPT. Role Summary The Director of Data Engineering is accountable for the strategy, delivery, and reliability of the enterprise data engineering platform, with direct leadership responsibility for the Data Streaming Engineering team. This role owns real-time and near-real-time data pipelines, CDC architectures, and event-driven integration patterns that power analytics, operational use cases, and downstream platforms. You will lead managers and senior engineers responsible for Kafka, Striim and DMS based streaming solutions, while partnering with Architecture, Data Platform, Analytics, and Security leaders to ensure scalable, governed, and production-ready data flows. The role balances people leadership, technical direction, and architectural influence, with selective hands-on engagement for the most complex initiatives.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or equivalent experience.
10+ years of post-degree professional experience in data engineering or software engineering
5+ years in engineering leadership roles, including managing senior engineers and technical leads
Proven experience building and operating data streaming platforms at scale
Strong experience with Kafka and/or Striim, including CDC and event-driven architectures
Experience integrating streaming pipelines with Oracle, PostgreSQL, Redshift, and Snowflake
Deep understanding of distributed systems concepts: ordering, fault tolerance, backpressure, and replay
Hands-on familiarity with cloud-based streaming and data services, especially on AWS
Strong Python and SQL skills; ability to review and guide complex code and pipeline designs
Experience with orchestration tools such as Airflow or Argo
Experience with API-based data integrations and vendor data exchange.
Knowledge of analytics enablement for BI and downstream consumers
Understanding of core data stewardship processes and data contracts
Demonstrated success hiring, mentoring, and retaining high-performing engineering teams
Strong communication skills to influence architecture and delivery across technical and non-technical stakeholders
Experience operating in fast-paced, Agile delivery environments

Nice To Haves

Prior ownership of a Data Streaming or Event Platform
Experience in financial services or other regulated industries
Experience operating globally distributed engineering teams
Track record of improving platform reliability, observability, and incident response maturity

Responsibilities

Data Streaming Leadership & Strategy Lead and scale the Data Streaming Engineering organization, including Senior and Lead Data Streaming Engineers
Own the technical vision and roadmap for real-time and CDC pipelines using Kafka and Striim
Define standards for streaming architecture, schema evolution, replayability, observability, and operational readiness
Ensure streaming solutions integrate reliably with Oracle, PostgreSQL, Amazon Redshift, and Snowflake
Platform & Architecture Influence Partner with Enterprise and Data Architects to influence event-driven and hybrid (batch + streaming) platform designs
Establish approved patterns for: CDC ingestion Event modeling and contracts Topic design and retention Downstream consumption (analytics, APIs, operational systems)
Guide technology selection and evolution across streaming, orchestration, and cloud-native services
Engineering Management & Delivery Hire, develop, and manage high-performing data streaming and data engineering teams (including distributed and offshore teams where applicable)
Set clear expectations for delivery, quality, reliability, and on-call ownership
Translate business priorities into executable engineering plans and delivery milestones
Provide escalation leadership for complex production incidents related to streaming latency, data correctness, or pipeline failures
Quality, Reliability & Operations Ensure data streaming SLAs/SLOs are defined and met (freshness, latency, completeness)
Oversee integration of testing, monitoring, and alerting into CI/CD and runtime operations
Drive continuous improvement in resiliency, scalability, and cost efficiency of streaming platforms
Cross-Functional Partnership Collaborate with Analytics, Data Science, Product, and Business stakeholders to align streaming capabilities with business outcomes
Partner with Security, Governance, and Risk teams to ensure data protection, auditability, and compliance
Communicate clearly with senior leadership on roadmap progress, risks, and trade-offs

Benefits

Medical, dental, vision and life insurance
Retirement savings - 401(k) plan with generous company matching contributions (up to 6%), financial advisory services, potential company discretionary contribution, and a broad investment lineup
Tuition reimbursement up to $5,250/year
Business-casual environment that includes the option to wear jeans
Generous paid time off upon hire - including a paid time off program plus ten paid company holidays and three floating holidays each calendar year
Paid volunteer time — 16 hours per calendar year
Leave of absence programs - including paid parental leave, paid short- and long-term disability, and Family and Medical Leave (FMLA)
Business Resource Groups (BRGs) - BRGs facilitate inclusion and collaboration across our business internally and throughout the communities where we live, work and play. BRGs are open to all.

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